Recycling construction waste makes sense for this Wisconsin home builder.

You’ve managed to achieve an impeccable yard, with brilliant green grass, healthy trees, and beautiful landscaping. You recycle your cans and bottles and even participate in some backyard composting. But your home’s environmental impact started long before you moved in. In fact, your commitment to living in a greener home started when you chose your home builder. Home builders are finding a number of smart ways to lessen their environmental footprint. Specifically, construction debris recycling is proving to be a win-win choice for the builder and the environment. In early 2007, Shawn Fahey and his wife moved into their new house in McFarland, Wisconsin, just south of Madison. The two can look out over their lawn and know that the green they see is in part due to the environmentally sound way their contractor chose to deal with their home’s construction debris. “I do a lot of outdoor activities,” Fahey, a former construction manager, says. “So I’m always conscious of what I’m doing for the environment.” According to EPA, every new home built in Wisconsin creates an average of 4.38 lb of construction waste per square foot. That ...